Is a skimmer an absolute must?

I am currently in the process of getting a 55 gallon ready for a fowlr. I am going to have only 2 3" triggers and maybe a yellow wrasse or 2. There will be 1 HOB power filter rated at like 60 or 70 gallons and 2 small HOB's rated at 20 gallons I am going to have only 15 pounds of LR but i'll have a bag of "Nature's Ocean Bio-Activ Live Aragonite Reef Substrate" on the bottom as well as a layer of florida crushed coral beneath it. Anyway, would I need a skimmer for the first few months, then i'll add one?

 

i dunno man the 55g seems to small for all those fish and lr not much space. as for the filtration you may want a lil something more then just HOB filters. JMOI

 

I agree with the size being a bit small as most require 70-150 gallon tanks... 15lbs of Lr is a bit small for a 55 gallon tank... A skimmer is a must for a beginner... It will help keep the maintenance on a lower level... Id recommend a skimmer

Also, your going to need a bit more water flow...

Thats my opinion...

 

what does JMOI mean? also, i'm also probably going to put some base rock in there for some more "substance". what do you think about the idea of haveing like 3 small reefs in there, like 3 piles of rock (no not true reefs, just rock). Also let me say that Im probably only going to have the one trigger i have, he's a 3" rectangular trigger.

 

Hey, I could trade one of the small HOB's for a submersible filter that i can hve down low blowing on my rock

 

A skimmer you won't really need for the first few months, because you can sisrupt your cylce. Let the tank cycle first. Skimmers are great, they keep the tank super clean.. get a good one!! Don't skimp. AquaC, Octopus, just to name a few. This is a FOWLER tank.. (Fish with Live Rock). 15 lbs is ok, you could do it, except that isn't much rock.. try 25-30 lbs, you'll have more scape options. 3 HOB = Lots a maintainence. I use a 70 gallon Aquaclear on my 16 gallon. For this tank I would get 2 - Hydor Koralia 2, use the 60-70 HOB and maybe get another. The more the better. If you use just those three, I'd imagine combined you'f be filtering 500 gallons per hour (almost turns your tank over 10 times.) My 16 gallon has 800 gallons per hour.. so my tank is turned over 50 times in an hour. With this not bein a reef setup your ok, but more flow will keep things.. well better..lol IMHO (In MY Honest Opinion).

 

really, a few months to cycle, my 20g with 15 pounds of LR cycled in less than a week

 

I highly doubt it cycled in a week... Did you test all levels from start to finish?
A month is sometimes pushing it

 

yes i did test, but first off, i srubbed my LR w/ a tooth brush, then i spiked ammonia to 1.5 mg/l with liquid ammonia. I think those 2 factors made the difference

 

Well you can see your levels spike and test "undetectable" in a week. Undetectable meaning there is still ammonia, nitrates and nitrites, but can't be picked up on a test kit. My tank did this.. it doesn't mean your tank is 100% cycled. A tank is very unstable during the first sometimes year especially if its a reef tank. Using a protein skimmer in your first three months is gonna strip your tank.. meaning your not letting the amonia build up, the proper nitrates building up to counter the ammonia, and then the proper nitrates building up. Meaning you want your tank to handle the bioload by itself initially. When you add livestock the skimmer will prevent these levels from building up.. your tank needs to handle these intiial levels itself especially when there's no livestock.. what would you need a skimmer for.. it'll just slow down your cylce. Let the tank break in, add livestock, then the skimmer to control your levels from fish waste and feedings. Hope this helps!!